A common last-ditch claim by global warming skeptics (once they’ve conceded that the climate is changing and we’re to blame) is that taking action is simply too expensive. But study after study has found that the costs of inaction are astronomical, whereas investing in solutions today will help, not hurt, the economy. So it’s appropriate that, as Wall Street ends a roller-coaster week, our partner 1Sky is gearing up to release a summary of recent reports on green jobs.

Green jobs are well-paid, career-track jobs that contribute to preserving or enhancing environmental quality. These jobs are automatically created during the transition from an economy based on coal, oil, and other fossil fuels to one based on efficiency and clean renewable energy. Many are impossible to outsource - imagine shipping a building to China to be retrofitted with better insulation and energy-efficient lighting! Green jobs in the manufacturing sector have the potential to revitalize demand for skilled workers in rust-belt towns, while jobs retrofitting buildings or installing and maintaining solar panels could provide pathways out of poverty to millions in cities. Demand for low-carbon fuels and electricity will create jobs in rural areas. College graduates will start and join companies in a growing environmental services industry.

1Sky’s summary isn’t available for download yet, but the kicker should come as no surprise: investing in energy efficiency and clean, renewable technologies is our best bet for forestalling a two-fold climate and economic crisis. It will bring growth, green jobs, economic stability, and, oh yeah, a healthier environment and hospitable climate.

Here’s a preview of what’s inside the forthcoming report:

• Paul Volcker, the chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve under President Reagan, says that unless we curb global warming “the economy will go down the drain in the next thirty years”

• Existing building efficiency opportunities could boost energy productivity the equivalent of 64 million barrels of oil per day - almost 150% of current total US energy consumption.

• Although transitional assistance will be necessary, there are more than enough green jobs to offset inevitable job losses in energy industries.

• Incentives for low-carbon fuels and electricity could create over 5 million new jobs in rural areas by 2030.

• Inadequate training and workforce skills is currently one of the primary obstacles to developing renewable energy and energy efficiency.

• Areas hardest-hit by recent manufacturing job losses are well-positioned to take advantage of new green jobs producing solar cells, wind turbine blades, and other components that currently need to be imported.

The full report will be available soon from www.1sky.org

-Ian

Today we have a guest post from Tom Boucher of NativeEnergy; NativeEnergy sources renewable energy projects and is the carbon offset supplier for the Brighter Planet Visa. Here, Tom discusses how national legislation on carbon, which he expects to be a cap-and-trade system, will impact the voluntary carbon offset market.

Will the Voluntary Offset Market be Affected by Cap-and-Trade?

A key feature of the U.S. voluntary offset market has always been that it stands alone, unaccompanied by any mandatory Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions trading program. The Kyoto Protocol holds sway over most of the world, and the European Union also has its own emissions trading scheme. But with the imminent launch of the Northeast Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), continued progress on the Western Climate Initiative, and multiple GHG bills in the works in Washington, it seems clear that before long the U.S. too will have a regulated carbon market – most likely a cap-and-trade system. Which prompts the question: how will this affect the voluntary offset market?

The answer depends on whose crystal ball you gaze into.

Read the rest of this entry »

In 1970, the parents in Aspen decided that the Aspen Elementary School was too conservative. They decided to start their own experimental school following the teachings of Sylvie Ashton Warner, a renowned teacher in New Zealand. The first year, the school opened in the Aspen Institute’s building in town. Sylvie came for the year to establish the curriculum. She documented her experience in “Spearpoint: Teacher in America”.

The parents (who were also the teachers) quickly decided they needed their own building so a local hero, George Stranahan, donated land and the parents began planning the building. The Fall semester of the school’s second year was devoted to building the log school.

The land is in Woody Creek and up the road was a saw mill where we got the logs and separators. I don’t remember where the mortar came from. The parents and students researched the building requirements, got donations and went to work. The main building is all logs with a tower that at the time, was the tallest log tower built. They used as few nails as possible, opting for dowels. The floor was poured concrete and classrooms were partitioned off with recycled garage doors. It was an ungraded school where students were grouped by ability and assignments were derived by student experience (the Aston Warner methodology).

Today, the school has grown but maintained its focus on environmentally friendly structures using yurts and the like. They have solar panels for energy and focus their classes on life skills and academics.

As a kid, my favorite classes were in the garden. The students still grow vegetables and flowers. The plot has grown substantially, but the concept is the same. Teach the children the value of the earth and of locally grown food. It is a lesson I still recall as we put our garden in every spring and as we enjoy our fresh vegetables in the harvest season.

Last week was “Eat Local National Challenge Week”, and I was happy to share the joy of growing food at home with my children.

-Ashley